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Students Speak Out at Race Relations Forum

Sponsors hope students have more opportunities to air their thoughts and feelings

About 50 people gathered Thursday evening to talk about race relations on campus and Duke's relationship with Durham in the wake of the accusations that several members of the men's lacrosse team sexually assaulted a woman at an off-campus party.

"What kind of culture is dominant on this campus? Why is it so easy to tear us apart?" asked junior Da Liu at the forum, which was sponsored by the Center for Race Relations, Mi Gente, the International Association, the Community Service Center and the Pan-Hellenic Association.

At the forum, students criticized the university's initial response to the allegations, saying that that no leading figure stepped up, which then created a negative public impression of students.

Others criticized the media coverage for misrepresenting Duke students. But Liu and others questioned that, saying the media picture is not all wrong. Students at the forum said the lacrosse party is not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of campus culture.

"To what degree are we misrepresented?" Liu asked.

Some participants blamed negative reporting from the media on the poor Duke-Durham relationship. They said that's part of the reason many Durham residents spoke against Duke.

While some students said the climate on campus reflects society as a whole, others said that students come to Duke seeking a diverse environment, but don't know how to engage with people who are different. There are not many occasions for different groups to come together, they said.

"At Duke, there is diversity but a lack of inclusiveness," said Malik Burnett, a junior.

"It takes an effort from students and administration to help facilitate change."

Burnett and others suggested ways to foster inclusiveness, such as mandatory diversity seminars for first-year students and diversity training for campus leaders.

Some participants expressed disappointment at the low turnout for the event, but Nelson Williams, co-president of the Center for Race Relations, said it's important to have events that bring students together to address these issues.

"It would be great to have continued space for these discussions," he said. "I think people still have more to say."